It’s about one aging GenXr trying to find his place in the world as his recall and his knees begin to fail him.

I had a twenty-something professional colleague give me an eye roll the other day that led me to a question of insidious intent, “Is it time to start thinking about hanging it up?” It’s only been within the last few years that professionals who are my kids’ age started joining the workforce en masse. They are fearless, fun, and frustrating. Fearless in that they haven’t had a chance to experience any true failure yet, so they’re willing to try anything. Fun in that everything is new to them, and they have an enthusiasm that is refreshing and infectious. Frustrating in that while they’re smart, they’re not yet wise, and sometimes don’t understand the difference. It’s been a challenge for me to adjust, as I am sure it has been for every 51-year-old that has come before me in the past 100 years. How do I treat these people? How do I swallow my own biases and pride enough to learn from them? How do I teach them without appearing condescending? How will I know when I should slide over to the passenger’s side and let one of them drive? How do I accept that they have a different approach to work? These are not rhetorical questions, people! There’s a comments section for a reason! This is not a piece about Millennials as a group. Rather, it’s about one aging GenXr trying to find his place in the world as his recall and his knees...